Sperm donor with rare cancer-causing mutation fathers nearly 200 children across Europe
By Andrew Joseph
statnews.com – A sperm donor who unknowingly carried a gene variant that can cause cancers fathered nearly 200 children across Europe, some of whom have already died, according to an investigation published Wednesday by a group of 14 European news organizations.
The man started donating sperm at Denmark’s European Sperm Bank in 2005, which was sold to women from at least a dozen countries over roughly 17 years, the organizations reported. He is healthy and had passed the donor screening checks, but some of his cells had a mutation in a gene called TP53, the healthy version of which helps prevent the body’s cells from turning malignant.
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U.S. stuck with D+ in preterm-birth report
By Carly Mallenbaum
axios.com – The U.S. has earned a D+ for its preterm-birth rate for the fourth straight year in an annual report from March of Dimes, with the national rate stuck at 10.4%.
Why it matters: The report underscores persistent gaps in equity, access and maternal care. It should be a “wake-up call” that change is needed in the U.S., says Michael Warren, the chief medical and health officer of March of Dimes, a nonprofit focused on ending preventable preterm birth and infant death.
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Psoriasis rates rise globally, with highest burden in wealthier regions
By Justin Jackson
medicalxpress.com – Researchers in China report that global incidence rates of psoriasis rose slightly from 1990 to 2021 and are projected to continue rising for both men and women through 2050.
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that continues to impose a growing global burden. Understanding the rate of increase is critical for informing public health strategies, improving health care access, and supporting early diagnosis worldwide.
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Trump admin’s $100K H-1B visa fee policy challenged by 20 attorneys general
By Dave Muoio
fiercehealthcare.com – Twenty blue state attorneys general filed a lawsuit Friday against the federal government challenging a new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas as unlawful and harmful to several industries including healthcare.
Specifically, the suit alleges the policy, implemented by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a few months back, exceeded Congress’ intent for the visa program as well as the executive branch’s authority and did not follow required rulemaking procedures. The attorneys general said it would cause “irreparable harm” to their states and asked the court to vacate the policy and enjoin the administration from pursuing it.
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House GOP healthcare bill eschews subsidy extension, HSAs
By Paige Minemyer
fiercehealthcare.com – Republicans in the House of Representatives have unveiled their plan to tackle healthcare costs, though the bill does not address the soon-to-expire enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.
Under the bill, unveiled on Friday, lawmakers would lean on association health plans, which allow employers to pool resources to purchase coverage, and individual coverage health reimbursement arrangements, or ICHRA, to offer additional options for enrollees. In the latter case, an employer offers individuals a stipend to purchase coverage of their choosing on the ACA’s exchanges.
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Trump’s Idea for Health Accounts Has Been Tried. Millions of Patients Have Ended Up in Debt.
By Noam N. Levey
kffhealthnews.org – Sarah Monroe once had a relatively comfortable middle-class life. She and her family lived in a neatly landscaped neighborhood near Cleveland. They had a six-figure income and health insurance. Then, four years ago, when Monroe was pregnant with twin girls, something started to feel off.
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